Ronda Rousey was grateful to be cast in 'Expendables 3'

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Ronda Rousey was grateful to be cast in Expendables 3.

The 27-year-old MMA champion portrays Luna in the film, and discussed the movie with the Philadelphia Daily News. Rousey expressed her gratitude to writer, producer and star Sylvester Stallone, and revealed that the actor fought for her to secure the role.

"There were much more high-profile women, better known names than me, and he was the one pushing for me and taking the risk," she shared. "And it's been my mission in life to prove him right."

Expendables 3 marks Rousey's first feature film role, and the fighter said she completed her action scenes with ease. She is slated to appear in a number of new movies, and hopes to foster an age of female empowerment in Hollywood.

"We're entering an age of female empowerment," she asserted. "What's happening in Hollywood is what's happened in MMA. The reason women are popular in MMA is because people wanted to watch them. It took a while for people to wake up for that. In Hollywood, there is a similar void, waiting to be filled."

Rousey will appear in Fast & Furious 7 in 2015, and said her other projects are secret for now. Stallone announced female-led Expendables spinoff The Expendabelles earlier this month, and it is possible Rousey would reprise Luna for the film. Expendables 3 opens in theaters Friday, August 15.